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Tourism officials of Khanh Hoa have asked travel agencies and hotels in the province to remind their clients to always be careful on the street.

A source from the tourism department of the province, which has the popular resort town Nha Trang, said it wanted hotels and travel firms to participate in efforts to reduce theft against tourists.

Among the safety tips the department wants hotels to give to their guests are only bringing a small amount of money and refraining from buying from street vendors.

It also ordered travel agencies to continuously update tourists on local security issues and traffic regulations, and help police with interpretation in case foreign tourists need to file a complaint or report.

Locals and tourists have expressed concerns about a resurgence of thieves and gangs that were very active before a crackdown several years ago.

There have been many cases of mugging whose victims are tourists. Some snatchers were armed and even fought back against police.

Late last year, some men threw a petrol bomb at the town’s major hotel and shopping complex Nha Trang Center, possibly because the center’s security guards had told them not to park at the mall’s entrance.

Traffic accidents are another major threat to tourists.

Travel agencies have complained about the speeding habit of local riders who did not usually give way to pedestrians, prompting a major campaign in which uniformed volunteers have been assigned to help tourists cross busy streets since November last year.